Scout troop 641 started early Saturday morning and expected to visit 100 homes to collect donated food for AFAC.
Arlington Scout troops joined the national Scouting for Food effort on Saturday, November 8. The food they collected was donated to the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC).
Charles Meng, Executive Director of AFAC says, “We received 65,000 pounds or 32 tons which is the largest amount Scouting for Food has ever collected for us. It comes at a time when it is greatly needed for the growing number of families who are coming to us as SNAP benefits remain unpaid.” He adds that this Boy Scout drive has been helping AFAC for well over 20 years.
Jolie Smith, AFAC Development Director adds, “This was a historical BSFD. It was unbelievable …car after car after truck for three hours. Truly a blessing for AFAC especially right now but always. The community definitely stepped up in a big way to support us.”
AFAC provides supplemental groceries to needy families weekly. They have seen the number grow to over 4,200 families a week and expect this number to continue to climb during the upcoming weeks.
Troop 641 started out early Saturday morning and one of the Scouts reported their goal was to raise a million pounds “but I think we only have about 50 right now.” The father accompanying them said they were getting a lot more contributions than last year. “People are leaving 2-3 big bags at the door.” One of the Scouts reported they had 100 homes on their list for donations,
Meng reports that this year broke all records in the 20 years they had been partnering with the Scouts. “I must thank all of those who put food out for the scouts to collect; every can and eery box will soon be in the grocery bags of our families.”